The Old Aperture Science
by LuigiKing
Summary: Two young men, Wheatley Adams and Doug Rattmann, join Aperture Innovators, not knowing their lives would be changed forever
1. Welcome to Aperture Science

It was 1968, a van holding three men sped through the dusty roads of Upper Michigan. As the driver begun to speed up, the tires flew off the path. As the car landed back on the ground a ping echoed of the walls of the van. It was then followed by an announcement.

"Cave Johnson here. If you are sitting in this van, you must be a bright young fellow eager to join Aperture Science Innovators. Either that or you're a spy from Black Mesa. If that get out right now, don't even bother coming. I'll get my lab boys to build something to kill you painfully. Heh heh. Cave Johnson, we're done here." Two men watched as one of them jumped off immediately. As the driver started slowing down, they both looked around for a large lab. Nothing. The only things for miles around was wheat, and an outhouse. The driver mumbled something about hidden elevators as the two men stepped off. They opened the outhouse door and found an elevator. The elevator was quite small, but they managed to fit. They took advantage of this time to get to know each other.

"Um hi, my name's Doug, Doug Rattman. I have schizophrenia, but it's not very bad. I tell everyone I meet about my schizophrenia, just so they don't freak out when I blabber about random things and go crazy. And what's your name?"

"It's Adams, Wheatley Adams really. Nice to meet you. So, what inspired you to join Aperture?"

"Eh, I really have no passion for science, I just wish to keep the path of science on the right path." Doug explained

"Me, for one, I love science. I'm not very good, but I managed a master in quantum physics. You know, one day, I hope to be in charge of this wonderful place." As Wheatley finished, a neon light started glowing, it was the Aperture Science logo. Then Cave's voice came over the loudspeaker.

"Cave Johnson here. This is the special first-time visitor announcement. I welcome you to Aperture Science. I will be waiting for you once these doors open. If I'm not there, you're on the wrong level. Please avoid any mantis-men. Cave Johnson, we're done here." The two men were puzzled, mantis-men? That sounded like something out of a sci-fi book. After horrible puns and a long elevator ride, the doors started sliding open. Cave Johnson stood there, as firm and strong as a statue. He shook each of the two men's hands firmly.

"I'm Cave Johnson, I run the place. I'm sure you're delighted to be here. And wait, weren't there three of you?"

"Mister Cave Johnson, sir, I'm pretty sure he was a Black Mesa spy. He ran off at your frightening announcement about painful deaths for spies," Wheatley responded immediately. "Um, I might sound silly, but, is that true or…"

"At Aperture we don't joke about things, we really have an entire room for spies who infiltrate Aperture Science Innovators. A soundtrack of loud screaming is played again and again, it's entirely effective. Sooner or later, they crack. Anyway, Doug, I'm pretty sure you signed up as an employee, and Wheatley, you're a test subject slash employee right?"

"Bloody right mister Johnson sir!" Wheatley replied enthusiastically.

"Alright then. Henry, will you please show Mister Doug to the control rooms and maintenance areas? And Wheatley, you come with me." As Henry showed Doug the work areas, Cave and Wheatley chatted about science.

"You know Wheatley, we need more employees with a passion for science like you do. All of them only do science because they're scared of me. That's good, but we need real innovators, we're Aperture Science innovators for God's sake! You know, I'm sure you'll like Caroline. She's second-in-command to this whole place." As they stepped into an elevator, a Cave announcement turned on.

"Remember, all of you test subjects, the future starts with you!"

"Quite handsome aren't I?" Cave chuckled. Wheatley started laughing. In the end, the elevator doors opened and the two rolled out bursting in laughter.

"Cave sir, have you been exposed to our prototype, unstable and possibly lethal laughing gas? Quick someone, get a stomach pumper!" The lab boys scurried to get a pumper.

"No, I'm fine. I'm Cave Johnson. I'm the man who runs this place. I tell you lab boys what to do and what to get! And you, yes you, you're fired! No one except Cave Johnson tells people what to do!" He helped Wheatley get up, and they casually walked down the catwalk to the first test chamber.

"Wheatley, this is a dangerous test. There is some incredibly lethal Repulsion gel. It makes things bounce, in layman terms, but it does cruel things to the human skeleton. So don't get covered in it. I really need to make that an announcement that plays every time you enter the chamber." Right now, you don't have an Aperture Science Quantum Tunnelling Device, but you'll find one in the next chamber. Just bounce onto the gel. Wheatley was nervous, so he carefully stepped on the gel. The moment he set foot on the gel, he flew in the air.

"Woah! This is so much fun! How can something so bloody fun be dangerous?" he asked Cave in mid-air.

"Trust me, it does," Cave replied. In the next chamber, Cave gave Wheatley the Aperture Science Quantum Tunnelling Device. Cave told Wheatley how it worked, the danger of shooting a portal at an organic being and why not to get stuck in infinite loops. Wheatley saw a man shoot a blue portal at the wall, and an orange one up on a ledge. As he stepped through the blue one, he appeared on the ledge. Wheatley was amazed, but he had doubts. So, he mimicked the man. Portal there, portal there. He stepped through the blue one and all of a sudden, he ended up on the ledge. He stepped through the orange one, and ended back on the ground.

"How does it work?" He asked.

"Well, these portals are actually wormholes. They link one location to another one in space. But while traveling through a portal, you are actually travelling through a tunnel, in one step. But how to get them? Company secrets. Caroline is inventing a prototype handheld gun. It's supposed to be lighter, and a lot more portable. Knowing Caroline, she'll carry through." Wheatley followed Cave into the elevator. This was one ride Wheatley would remember forever


	2. A Step in Different Directions

As the lift continued its journey, Cave opened a panel. There seemed to be a slot. Cave entered a card.

"Hey, watch this." Wheatley watched Cave insert the card and twist it. Then the walls of the elevator opened showing many multi-colored buttons. Cave pressed eight buttons. Then, the elevator started going really fast.

"This is our prototype keycard lock system. Much more portable than keys, and less obvious. To the untrained eye, it seems like the ace of hearts, but it really is a key.

"Ey, mister Cave sir, where exactly are we going?" Wheatley asked shuffling his feet.

"To my office. No one, and I mean no one, has ever seen my office. The only people to ever see it are, Caroline, me, and soon, you."

"Why me sir? I haven't done anything special!" Wheatley stammered.

"Not _yet_, my friend, I need you to test something that no one has. Caroline's prototype handheld portal gun. If you make it out alive, you'll get one hundred twenty dollars, if you make it out with injuries, sixty dollars, if you die, we'll pay for your funeral."

"No mister Cave sir, um, I don't exactly want to die or anything, so is there a plan B?"

"Either this or you're fired!"

"Um, no, no I'll test the gun, I'll test the gun. Yeah, um., okay, that's over with." The lift opened. There was a large velvet chair next to a table. Next to the table was another table. A black-haired lady sat there typing on a machine as if it was a typewriter. She wore glasses and typed quickly. She then looked over at Cave Johnson, grinned and returned to the machine.

"Caroline, meet Wheatley. He's one of the most enthusiastic employees we'll ever get. He also agreed to test your invention." Caroline got up from her chair and shook Wheatley's hand.

"Hi, I'm Caroline, nice to meet you. I'm really excited. I just finished the prototype before you came in. So now we'll both get to see how it works." She got a black and white machine with the Aperture logo. She pulled the small lever, and it started humming. A blue and orange light lit up the inner workings of the assumed gun. Wheatley picked it up, placed it in his hand. It fit like a glove. He pulled a lever in the gun, and it shot a portal. Wheatley pulled again, and another portal was shot out. Now for the final part. Wheatley walked through one, and made it out, perfectly fine. As Wheatley walked out, Cave put his arm around Caroline. Caroline then hugged Cave, tears running down her cheeks.

"It works! It bloody works! And I'm still alive! And now Cave," he then grinned at Cave Johnson, "Where's my hundred-twenty?" Cave started laughing in a great booming voice.

"You'll get it after today. Great work son, science has taken a giant leap because of you!" Cave shook Wheatley's hand, who was beaming. Wheatley was then sent to test the gels again. Wheatley stepped into the elevator and waved goodbye. Caroline waved back. Wheatley blushed.

* * *

><p>Henry walked down the long Aperture hallway with Doug.<p>

"So, I've heard about the GLaDOS project. What is it?" Doug asked.

"Oh, that's just a proposal. Some of the programmers and engineers have started work on it. Do you want to see it?" Doug answered yes. They took the lift to the GLaDOS chamber, where engineers have built a metal body.

"Right now, it's only an empty shell, but once Cave's personality is loaded in, it truly will be the GLaDOS, but right now it's only the DOS."

"Oh really? May I see the current coding?"

"No, that's confidential. All we can tell public will be that it includes a motivational system. If it acts good, a sense of euphoria will be sent to the hardware. The only people to see the coding will be the programmers. Unless you switch out to the GLaDOS project, youll see it once it's finished."

"Well then, I'm switching to the GLaDOS project, I'm really worried something will go wrong. How much power will this AI have over the Aperture Science Enrichment Centre?" Doug told Henry.

"It has the power to change the building as it sees fit," Henry answered matter-of-factly.

"_That's _what worries me! How's that even possible?" Doug asked. Henry then walked over to the walls and knocked on them.

"You see, this walls aren't walls at all. They're actually panels! In fact, I'll show you how the AI will do it." They walked to the control room. Henry pulled a lever and suddenly, the floor started rising to form stairs. The stairs reached up to a previously unreachable door. Doug was amazed, but he was sure AIs shouldn't have power over the entire facility.

"So what's the point of the GLaDOS project?" Doug asked suspiciously.

"Cave Johnson has to die someday. Not with the project. He's planning to load himself into the computer."

"Ah I see, that lowers my worries,"said Doug. Then he scratched his hair and continued,"I'm guessing we can trust Cave to be an AI. Okay. But may I still see the coding?""""

"Well," pondered Henry, "I'm guessing it'll be okay. If you're so determined." Henry led Doug to ten computers side by side. Rows of data lined the screens. Doug examined the screens. One seemed to be to alter the personality of the AI, another the motivational system Henry mentioned. Suddenly, Doug spotted something. The pride levels were much too high, and there seemed to be an error in the motivational system. It seemed to be a torture glitch, so instead of euphoria, the computer is tortured endlessly, _until_ it does something right, which then the torture is ended for a brief moment. It couldn't be deleted, so instead he changed the torture to an itch, instead of pain. Henry watched Doug change the data. Henry truly was impressed. This was only the start of what Doug would do to GLaDOS.


	3. Chasing After Dreams and Lunatics

In a few days, Wheatley soon found himself testing the Propulsion gel. Wheatley really didn't want to test this one. He knew it would be like skating, and Wheatley had never been that good at skating. At first, Wheatley had started out slow, but not for long. The properties of the gel had caused Wheatley to start speeding up and end up on the other side of the one kilometre passageway. Next was gel and portal testing. He was supposed to run on Propulsion gel through a hallway and jump on the Repulsion gel at the end of the Propulsion gel. Then, he was supposed to land on a portal, and end up shooting out another portal like a bullet, or flinging, as Wheatley called it. To prevent breaking his bones, Wheatley was instructed to land in the pool of water, until further notice. Winston, his instructor, had told him Aperture was working on a substitute for water, that prevents fall damage.

"So, you're telling me, that I'm supposed to try to fall into a bloody portal, and shoot out another one, into a pool of water, and try not to hit the wall and die. Really, gymnastics have never been my thing."

"Naw, get the right momentum, and you'll do fine. As Cave Johnson always says, we'll pay for your funeral bill!" That didn't really motivate Wheatley. Wheatley prayed for a miracle, and did the test. He ran on the Propulsion gel and jumped on the Repulsion gel, landed on the gel and gained a high altitude. The hardest part was landing in the portal. Of course, with such a large altitude, he had lots of time to get into the right position. Of course, that was also meant lots of time to regret doing this. He got into vertical pencil position and shot through the portals. He spread out his arms to slow himself down and landed in the water.

"I'm never, doing that again! Can we do any less-dangerous tests? Like maybe testing a new gel?" cried Wheatley spitting out water from his mouth.

"Well, you're in luck. This is the final portal-gel testing. Next are the mantis men tests."

"Yeah, I've heard about them. What the 'ell are they?" Wheatley asked, wringing out his Aperture T-shirt. He picked his ear, and thumped the side of his head.

"No, they're not exactly a test. They're the horrible outcome of a test. Inserting praying mantis DNA into humans is a bad idea. They've taken over the second level and have killed all our men. Just follow the yellow line, and bring a weapon. Rifles are Cave's preferred weapons, but I prefer shotguns." Wheatley followed the yellow line, and joined the crowd of armed men. He picked up a rifle, and stepped into the elevator.

"BLOODY 'ELL!" he screamed on seeing the mantis men. They were exactly like something from a science fiction movie! With the head of a mantis and body of a man, they carried blood-stained daggers and pistols. The men charged out of the elevators and started shooting. The mantis men were easily provoked and started shooting and throwing their knives. In the end, Wheatley was lying on the ground, dagger in his side. He was bleeding and screaming. Two men picked him up and placed him in the elevator with the other injured men. The worst of them was Wheatley; all the others had scratches at worst. Soon, Wheatley blacked out from loss of blood.

When Wheatley woke up, he was in a hospital. Doctors and nurses were crowded around him. They told him that he was going to be fine.

"So son, how did you get into a fight?"

"What fight?" Wheatley asked confusedly. He got up and rubbed his side. The wound had been replaced with a layer of stitches. "Oh you mean the one with the mantis men?"

"Um, okay. So, you were in a gang fight?" as the doctor finished Wheatley got up from his bed.

"No, I mean actual mantis men, from Aperture. Look, I really need to get back to testing. Can any of you show me to Aperture Laboratories?" All the doctor were puzzled completely.

"What do you mean, Aperture?" one asked.

"You know, the government research facility?"

"You mean Black Mesa? That's not possible, that's in Mexico. Or are you talking about Aperture Shower Fixtures?"

"Um, yeah, yeah! So where is this shower factory? Possibly close by?" Wheatley asked pulling the collar of his shirt.

"No, it's actually a few miles away. But we'll bring you there, if, you can pay for it."

"Pff, I have a bloody hundred twenty! I could buy the world if I wanted!" Wheatley smirked. They brought him to a taxi, and Wheatley said his thanks to the doctors. He got inside and told the driver to drive to Aperture Shower Fixtures.

"Don't you mean Aperture Science Innovators?" said the driver with a twinkle in his eye.

"Doug? What are you doing? Is it even legal for you to drive a taxi?"

"Well, driving you home, and yes. Henry told me about you and told me to pick you up. And let's just say that the taxi company is now a lot richer. Oh, and this is a special taxi. Aperture kind of added Propulsion gel to the wheels. Okay,_ I_ added the gel, but don't tell anyone." Wheatley chuckled and strapped his seatbelt. Doug stepped on the gas and soon the taxicab was doing seventy an hour.

"So how's testing?"

"It was amazing mate! The Quantum Tunnelling Device was the best! And I even managed to earn a hundred and twenty dollars!"

"Seriously man?"

"Yup, Ca…"Wheatley had forgot that the new portal gun was top secret and said instead, "Can you believe it? Easy work, easy money! How's yours?"

"I switched over to the GLaDOS project. Actually, the coding. Leave the engineers to build the thing. I managed to find about sixteen glitches in the coding. It was crazy, you'd think people with PhDs in computers would at least check over their work." Doug looked over his shoulder and turned a corner.

"Blast! It's the police! Gotta go faster! Faster! Fly into orbit!" Wheatley looked behind him and saw the police Doug was talking about.

"What d'ya mean by orbit mate?" Doug ignored Wheatley and started driving in circles.

"Oh god it's your schizophrenia isn't it? Oh God, I think we're not going to make it." Wheatley hopped out the car and ran up to a police car.

"Hey, is your friend drunk or something?" Wheatley jumped into the back of the police car.

"No, he has schizophrenia! Um, can you just, follow him?" The car sped off after Doug, with no possible way of catching up.


End file.
